Two years after the war was over, the British government was still recovering from the Blitz and rationing was in effect for everyone, even the royal family; the future Queen saved up clothing coupons to purchase her wedding dress.

She was granted 200 extra ration coupons for the celebration, but admirers of the young royal thought that wasn't enough, and quickly sent her theirs through the mail. Each one was returned with a note, as it was illegal to transfer them, and the princess made her post-War budget work.

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Elizabeth was something of a last-minute bride by modern standards. The design of her dress, a stunning gown made from ivory silk and decorated with 10,000 seed pearls, was approved only three months before the wedding. Couturier Norman Hartnellwanted it to be“the most beautiful dress I had so far made."

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And it was beautiful. The dress was made silk from China (as opposed to Japan or Italy, given it was still so soon after the war) and its 15-foot train was inspired by Bottielli's painting of Primavera from 1482, and covered in delicate floral designsincluding"jasmine, smilax, seringa, and rose-like blossoms."

In total, the gown took 350 women seven weeks to make. "I had forgotten how beautiful it was, with that exquisite train—and how small the Princess was," Betty Foster, who worked on the dresstold the Telegraphafter looking at the gown on display at Buckingham Palace in 2007.

"On my way home from the wedding celebration, I remember everyone on the train was talking about the dress and I felt so proud to have worked on it."

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On the big day, the queen paired the dress with embellished satin heels made by Edward Rayne. Her crown, which held in place a silk tulle veil, had broken as she was getting ready for the ceremony; a royal jeweler was brought in straight away to make the repairs.